The Local Area

The Bay Horse Inn sits by the River Rede in the quiet Northumberland village of West Woodburn. The Rede Valley and its surrounding area is known for its peace, tranquility and wide open spaces. Northumberland is England's most sparsely populated county, lying at the juncture of the Cheviot and Pennine Hills.

Redesdale Image Redesdale is ideal for outdoor pursuits, including many walks directly from The Bay Horse Inn.
Click here to see some of the activities available »

The area around West Woodburn has great natural beauty and history of much of the county’s turbulent past. Legend has it that at the Battle of Otterburn, 1388, the fallen dead of the Percy and Douglas armies stained the waters of our river red (or ‘rede’) with their blood giving the River Rede its name. The Border Reivers (raiders) are remembered in surviving ‘bastles’ (fortified farmhouses). Reminders of Roman occupation are preserved along Hadrian’s Wall (we have our own Roman milestone at The Bay Horse Inn).

Hadrian's Wall Image Medieval castles such as Alnwick and Warkworth as well as great houses, like Cragside, home of the 19th century industrialist and inventor, Lord Armstrong, and Wallington Hall, of the Trevellyan family are too numerous to list.

Everyone will enjoy a visit to the living museum at Beamish, as well as the glorious beaches on the Northumberland coast, such as Druridge Bay. We have the largest man-made lake and forest in Europe at Kielder, ideal for fishing, boating, watersports such as swimming and ski-ing, and there is the Bird of Prey Centre. Kielder can boast to having the cleanest air and is the most tranquil spot in England.

Hills Image Visitors to the region looking for shopping will find endless choice in Newcastle upon Tyne, the Metro Centre, Gateshead (one of Europe's largest indoor shopping centres) and the border towns of Scotland, as well as the nearby historic market town of Hexham.

Click here for links to local sites of interest »